Matthew is an associate editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). He joined AJMC® in 2019 and creates content for Medical World News®, a 24-hour online program developed MJH Life Sciences® focusing on pressing topics within managed care, as well as the nonwork-related activities of health care stakeholders.
He has a BA in journalism & media studies and economics from Rutgers University. You can connect with Matthew on LinkedIn.
Top 5 Most-Read Sleep Articles of 2021
The top 5 most-read sleep articles of 2021 on AJMC.com covered emerging therapies in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and idiopathic hypersomnia, the effects of antidepressant use on rapid-eye movement sleep, and the sleep-related effects of COVID-19.
Psoriasis Severity, Treatment Outcomes Differ Across US Regions
Psoriasis severity and treatment outcomes were found to differ across US geographic regions, in which the East South Central and West South Central regions were associated with the greatest frequencies of very severe disease burden and decreased likelihood of achieving targeted response within 6 months of initiating biologic therapy.
Nocturnal Teeth Grinding Linked With Incidence of Other Sleep-Related Disorders
People experiencing teeth grinding or clenching during sleep, called sleep bruxism, were found to be more likely than the general population to report incidence of other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.
Top 5 Most-Read Ophthalmology Stories of 2021
The top 5 most-read ophthalmology articles of 2021 on AJMC.com evaluated the effectiveness of novel therapies in several ophthalmic diseases, racial/ethnic disparities in clinical trial participation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood nearsightedness.
Study Finds No Standardized Treatment, Continued Health Care Utilization in Pustular Psoriasis
A case series of patients with pustular psoriasis indicated a lack of standardized treatment and continued health care utilization, in which men were at greater risk of an emergency department or hospital encounter.
Dupilumab Shows High Effectiveness in AD for Ages 6 Months and Up
Research presented at the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Virtual Conference said dupilumab (Dupixent) is an effective and safe therapeutic option in adults, adolescents aged 6 to 11 years, and young children aged 6 months to 5 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.
Comorbid Psoriasis, NAFLD Linked With Significantly Impaired Kidney Function
Patients with comorbid nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic plaque psoriasis were shown to have significantly lower estimated glomerular filtration rate levels and greater prevalence of more advanced chronic kidney disease.
Comparable, Sustained Efficacy Observed With HNS vs PAP Therapy in OSA
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) exhibited similarly improved insomnia and quality-of-life outcomes when administered hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) vs standard-of-care positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.
Liquid Biopsy Noninferior to Tissue-Based Genotyping in Management of Advanced NSCLC
Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (cfDNA)–based tumor genotyping was found to be noninferior to standard-of-care tissue-based genotyping for detection of guideline-recommended biomarkers and therapeutic outcomes in patients with advanced nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Nail Involvement May Reduce Efficacy of Ustekinumab For Psoriasis
Nail involvement was shown to reduce the effectiveness of ustekinumab in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis, whereas secukinumab exhibited overall higher efficacy than ustekinumab and similar response rates regardless of nail involvement.
Patients With Psoriatic Disease May Have Greater Risk of VTE, PVD
Patients with psoriasis were found to have a more than 20% increased risk of developing incident venous thromboembolism (VTE) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD), with notable at-risk groups including women and those with concomitant psoriatic arthritis.
Brodalumab Improves Skin Clearance, QOL vs Ustekinumab in Comorbid Psoriasis, PsA
Patients with concomitant psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) were shown to be 3.1-fold more likely to achieve complete skin clearance when treated with brodalumab vs ustekinumab after 52 weeks, with further improvements reported for quality of life (QOL).
Dupilumab-Induced Ophthalmic Disease Common in Adults With Atopic Dermatitis
More than 1 in 3 patients with atopic dermatitis reported incidence of dupilumab-induced ocular surface disease (DIOSD), with asthma and family history of AD shown to further increase the risk of developing DIOSD.
TNF Inhibitors Show Real-world Efficacy on QOL of Patients With Nail Psoriasis, PsA
Patients with concomitant psoriasis, nail psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) exhibited significant improvements in joint and disease severity symptoms, as well as quality of life (QOL) after 3 months of treatment with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) inhibitors of adalimumab, etanercept, or infliximab.
Atopic Dermatitis Severity, Age at Diagnosis May Increase Risk of Ophthalmic Diseases
Moderate-to-severe disease, childhood onset, and systemic treatments were all associated with a greater risk of conjunctivitis in patients with atopic dermatitis, whereas use of soft and hard contact lenses were linked with risk of keratitis.
Risk of Severe COVID-19 Heightened in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea
In Icelandic patients, obstructive sleep apnea were associated with a 2-fold increased risk of severe COVID-19 that required hospitalization or led to death after accounting for obesity and other comorbidities.